Pipe system for kilns



D ec. 15 1925- P. M. WILLIAMS.

PIPE SYSTEM FOR KILNS VFilm oct. 15

Patented Dec. 15, 1925.

vuntreu STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ETRICK M. WILLIAMS, 0F NORTH WILKESIBORO, NORTH CAROLIN,l ASSIGNOR TO HOORE DRY KILNCOMPANY, OF JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA, A CORPORATION' 0F FLGRIDA.

:enen sYsTEM ron -xILNs Application led October 15, 1923. Serial No. 666,776.

To czZZ whom it mayhconcem:

Be it known that I, PATRICK M. IVIL- LIaMs, a citizen or' the United States, residing at North llfilkesboro, in the county of lfVilkes and State or" North Carolina, have invented certain neu7 and useful Improvements in Pipe Systems for Kilns, of which the following is a specification. y rIhis invention relates to an improvement in dry kilns for curing lumber, and more particularly to a pipe system for kilns.

The present invention is designedI for drying wood of low moisture content, such as. Wood for furniture stock such as oak and gum, and it consists in a pipe system adapted vto receive its supply from a low steam pressure oir-exhaust steam, in which case it is found practical to arrange a g1 zater number of pipes at the dry end and feed theloiv pressure steam to the first feed header at the dry end, the steam vvhen traveling through the first few feet of pipe giving ofi' more heat than when the steam has'traveled e little distance. Again, ou'- ing' to the lall oi the kiln-trom the green Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical section.

taken on line 2-2 ot Fig. l;

The numeral l represents a kiln. of suitable construction and dimensions, and the end 2 at the lelt is the inlet or green end of the kiln, it having the usual arrangement ot track rails 3 extending therethrough on a gradual fall from the green or loading end to the dry or unloading end 4.

In the construction shown in `l-`ig. l. the piping 5 extends from the top-header t3 green or loadingend, and Ytronrtlmtpoint the piping extends back to a point beneath the top header (i, at the d1 oud.4 und thon baok'again toa bottoni header T some dis- *tauce in from the dry end, and al the bottoni of the chamber containing thi` heating pipes. fr feed pipe (5 is connected to the header G at the dryrud. In that exhaust sti-am is'usr'il, in the heating' plant, the headers 6 and 'T are nnule extra large.

located at the dry end to a` point adjacent the At the green or loading end in this kiln there is no piping `whatever and no ventilation. It is desired to make the green erid of the kiln a kind of a sweat-box or deadalr space, for softening the libre of the lumber and opening the pores.

Thus it is the intention to subject the stock when it enters the kiln to a moist air and low temperature and let it move progressively toward the hot and dry end of the kiln, the arrangement of the pipes as described giving this result.

A steam spray pipe 8 is arranged centrally of the kiln and beneath the rails 3 at the green end, referably in the space that is free from 51e main heatingvpipes. Additional spray pipes 9-.9 are arranged along the Walls of the kiln approximately centrally of the heated compartment at the 4green end, these pipes leading laterally from the spray-pipe S. w

' Vcntilators 10l are located at intervals in [he rootl as shown in Fig. l. v y

Thus it Will be seen that upon entering the kiln the stock issubjected to a moist air and low temperature, and the lumber being mounted on trucks mounted on rails 3 is moved gradually toward the hot or dry end ot the kiln. Most. of the pipes being at the unloading or dry end, the heat Waves move to the coldest end and in this Way the heat Waves move up next to the roof, back down to the greenend of the kiln, and down under theheating coils.

This pipe system is especially adapted to exhaust steam." I make the top header which is located at the dry'end equivalent` in size to the exhaust pipe o'an engine and iu this Way get maximum heat at the dry end, regardless of pressure, and this pipe system maintains throughout the entire kiln its proper balance of heat and humidity. In fact. I have found thatthis pipe system responds so beautifully-.in every case I have so :liar tried it that I use 'it in` other installations where space below the track will perum mit of it. I prefer it because entering steam in 'a progressive dry kiln at the dry end has many decided' advantages.

I claim:

l. A dry kiln having a heating system therein and sprays discharginga mist therein along at least two horizontal levels.

,2. A dry kiln having a heating system therein and sprays discharging a mistthere therein,

Within 'the kiln in the region of the bottem lll f system extending from one end lo the material being treated, and a second moist steam spray system located in a higher 4horizontal plane within the kiln.

5. A dry kiln having a heating system therein, a misty vapor spray system located Within the kiln below *the material being treated, 'and a second misty vapor spray system located Aabove said first-mentioned spray system.

6. A dry kiln having a heating system 1n the ylower portion thereof, a moist steam spray system discharging into the kiln from helow the material being treated, and a second moist steam spray system located above said rst mentioned spray system.

7. Adry kiln having a graduated heating thereof to a Eoint near the opposite 'end roviding a su stantially -unheated area at t e last-mentioned end, a humidity spray system located below the material being treated, and a second humidity spray system located Within the kiln above the bottoni ot the material.

8. A dry kiln havinga heating system therein, a moist steam spray located within the kiln below the material being treated, and secondary moist steam s rays located within the kiln at a higher e evation than the first mentioned spray.

9. Afdry kiln having green and dry ends for receiving material to be treated, a graduated heating system extending from the dry end to a point near the green end providing a substantially unheated area at the green end, a steam spray located below the material being treated, and steam sprays located atV ahigher elevation than the tiret-mening system `Within the kiln, a live moist i steam spray system located in the lower por-e5" tlon of the kiln, and moist steam sprays lo- 'f weee/ie tioned steam spray and within the unheated 5@ area. d0; -A dry kiln having green and dry ends, a heating system of progressively increasing intensity toward the dry end, and meint spray pipes located adjacent the side walls and bottom oi the kiln at the green end thereof. f

l1. A dry kiln or receiving material to he treated and having a heating system therein, a moist steam spray located in the bottom of the kiln below the material being treated, and moist steam sprays located in the upper portion ofthe kiln for simultaneously spray ing the material, at upper and lower regions.

12. A dry kiln having a drying chamber for receiving material to be treated, a heatcated in the upper portion of the drying chamber for uniformly spraying the ina- `terial being treated.

13. The combination in a dry kiln havm ing a green end and a dry end, of a pipe system extending from the dry end to a point near` the green end, thence back to the dry end, and a spray system located atA the green end unoccupied by the heating. 75

system, and a supplypipe connected at the dry end of the pi e system.

i4. A. dry1 kiln aving a green end and a dry end, a top header adjacent the dry end, a bottom header partway between the dry 80 and green ends, piping extending from the top header to a point near the green end and back to a point adjacent the dry end, thence to the bottom header, a supply pipe leading to and connected with the top head- 85 eroi the dry end, and spray pipes located along the side Walls and bottom of the kiln at the green end thereof. 'l t ln testimony whereof I aliix my signa- ,f ure.

PATRlCK M. WlLLlAMS.' 

